Democrat '08 - Attacks on Obama

I will start with today's CNN story on Obama being the target of the majority of new Republican ads. Why is that? Why isn't Hillary Clinton being targeted as much? There are some possible answers to this question.

#1. It is a know fact that top Republicans would rather put John McCain up against Hillary Clinton than Barack Obama. Both Clinton and McCain are long time senators, both voted for the war in Iraq, both support the gas tax holiday, and in the view of Republicans, the two have so much in common, but McCain is the war hero. So, to many conservatives, he would beat out Clinton.

Obama, on the other hand, has huge advantages against McCain. Most Americans disapprove of the Iraq war; Obama didn't vote for it. Many Americans are sick of "corrupt" politics in Washington; Obama (as we've heard time and time again) hasn't been there long enough to been effected much. He is idealistic enough, or naive enough, to think he can change Washington politics. Obama opposes the gas tax holiday. The list goes on. In a McCain vs Obama showdown, Obama comes off as the young, charismatic, idealistic, unifying leader...McCain looks like an angry old white man. So that's one reason Republicans are going after Obama - in the hopes that it could cost him the Democratic Primary.

#2. Republicans may realize (as I mentioned in a previous post) that Obama will most likely be the Democratic Nominee, and they're getting a head start on the general election by trying to paint him in a dark light, even now.

#3. He's an easy target - Clinton has done most of the dirty work already. Making Obama look bad doesn't require digging up dirt; Senator Clinton has already taken the heat for dramatizing the "bitter" comment, Rev. Wright, and flag pins...so using them in a Republican ad just requires a little copy-pasting from the Clinton campaign.

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Now, what's this all about experience? I had this idea for an experience comparison a while ago, and now is as good a time as any to explain it.


McCain, Clinton, Obama - they all have experience. But they all have different kinds of experience.

McCain: His experience is as a war hero. He's fought as a soldier in war, been captured by the enemy, and tortured. Plus, he's been in the Senate for a long time. In my opinion, this isn't a great Presidential qualification - the President doesn't fight wars, he orders them. If anything, a veteran running for office should oppose sending young men and women to war whenever possible - yet not John McCain. So for McCain, war experience doesn't mean more experience.

Clinton: Her experience is in Washington politics. She's was an active First Lady for 8 years, and a Senator for a long time. This experience, for me, is better than McCain's - she at least has legislative and negotiating experience from trips and events as First Lady. However, this means she's all wrapped up in corrupt politics - lobbyists, big-business endorsements, etc. That's not"change" - that's more of the same. That's the "experience" of another 4-8 years of Bush's and Clinton's in the white house.

Obama: His experience is in community organizing, bringing people together, and motivating people behind ideas and solutions to improve life in communities (as a community organizer), in his state (when he moved up to the State Senate) and in the country (as he now is one of our 100 US Senators). Okay, I'm biased, but come on - Obama has the kind of experience that will help this nation.

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Finally, both Democratic candidates stress one point above all else. If you care about...

Bio-Fuels


Oil Prices


Working Class



Housing Crisis


Universal Healthcare


Iraq War


Federal Debt


Then VOTE DEMOCRAT in 08 - be it Hillary Clinton OR Barack Obama. Maybe you don't like them personally, but the effect they will have on this country is absolutely vital to the survival of this plant, this nation, and you.

Hey - no one likes Bush, but McCain's different, right? Check again.